Letter I've sent to TS this morning.

[Pocket rocket]

I can't attach it so I've copied and pasted the main body of the letter.
Not sure what or any response I will get.

Dear Mr Stewart I would firstly like to thank you for the beautiful stadium you have provided to us.
I would also like to thank you for the amazing times we've had with the promotions and the brilliant day out at Wembley.

Last season was disastrous for lots of reasons on the back of that I have a few questions.

Why did you sack MR Stubbs?
I'm assuming it was to preserve our championship status? If so why did you then let us drift along with no direction or leadership and a manager out of his depth?

How did it go wrong so quickly with MR Jacket?
As a lifelong supporter the information given to us just doesn't add up.

Why didn't we take the money for Danny Ward?
He's quite clearly not worth the money so what was the long term aim keeping him when you made the decision to let the season end in relegation.

Who made the decision to offer MR Blackstock a 3 year deal?
Why didn't someone in a professional capacity at the club recognise this was a bad decision?

Why Paul Warne?
You must have seen the reaction from the supporters to the proposed appointment so why would you ignore the supporters concerns.

Is Paul Douglas effective?
At least 2 of the above points would fall under his remit which been diplomatic haven't gone to plan have they?

So moving forward MR Stewart what is the long term plan?
Is it to develop young hungry players to sell on and make a profit?

If so why is our assistant Manager talking about wanting a 32year old from another club?

Who is in charge of picking the players?
Is it MR Warne or the recruitment guy?

What is the plan with the training ground?

I've always been a staunch supporter of you MR Stewart and I'm grateful for what you have done for my club.
However I am for the first time under your stewardship genuinely worried for the long term direction of my club.

I await your response in anticipation.

[leedsmiller]

(Another one crosses the floor of the House! ).

Dear Mr Rocket

Thank you for your recent letter about Rotherham United Football Club. You will appreciate that I'm unable to respond to your questions as they raise matters of confidentiality. Nonetheless may I thank you for your continuing support and I would remind you that season tickets are now on sale for the 2017/18 season.

Tony

[mellowmiller]

Good letter Pocket and I hope you get some answers.
However I fear it may be along the lines of what Leeds has suggested 😕
Let us know what happens please, it will tell us a bit more about TS and how he is running the club.

[PeteWaller]

All very reasonable questions Pocket but I doubt any will be answered.

There have been times over the many years I have followed the Millers when I have witnessed despondency and a fear for the demise of the club.

This time around I can only believe that some huge mistakes have been made and TS can no longer support the club to the extent he has in the past. Everything is relative of course and TS has done reasonably well to put what he has into the club but it is a pittance in comparison to most other Championship clubs. There will always be a Burton and exceptions will occur but we are well under funded to compete in the second tier. TS will need to ensure the loan to RU Estates is repaid to ASD Lighting so he will be in charge of the club at least until this is repaid, I can't remember how long to go, it was a 15 year term I believe and from the last accounts there was still £10 or £11 million owed.

Personally, I am guessing he has come to the end of his road in terms of dreaming. He did a great job of saving the club when no one else was around to want to do it. He was sucked up in the euphoria of L2 and L1 promotions which tempted him to believe that owning a footy club was great fun and encouraged him into making some very rash statements. He has a successful business in ASD Lighting but to be clear, it is a very very small company when compared to the larger picture and the accounts suggest the company provides a nice income to TS and his wife - but nothing else. Successful yes but a million miles away from Britains "Rich List".

So I'm guessing it will all be about maintaining the loan repayments (RUFC only leases the ground from RU Estates, it doesn't own anything) and again from memory, I think the rent is about £1.2 million a year. As long as the season ticket sales/ match day sales/commercial sales/sponsorship make the club viable in terms of repaying that loan I think he will be happy. In turn I am guessing his own sponsorship will be reduced along with the club's income from central distributions following the diabolical season just ended resulting in our relegation to L1.

This is why I just cannot see a credible reason why he says we shall have a top 5 L1 budget. Certainly since the appointment of Warne and now Barker, there has been only evidence of us fishing around murky, cheap waters such as in Non League football or as you say in Barker's case, the old 32 year old looking for a deal or our inability to keep Smallwood. Upgrade to training facilities actually meant another Portacabin.

The only hope I have left is that TS appears to have a big ego. That in itself might allow him to continue with his generosity and sponsorship at the current level. If I was him though I would not waste my money.

I fear Rotherham United is a L1 club at best. The chance has come and gone without a fight imo. We shall be lucky to appear in the Championship again during my life time. But if we do, I hope we make a better fist of it. Football is seriously flawed in terms of its finances and I can readily see why clubs chase the dream of Premiership football - and gamble to achieve it.

Sunderland have been caned all season long but they still get rewarded with £89 million or so for being that bad. Where is the sense in that? This is precisely why RUFC will never be able to compete at the higher levels and probably why Tony Stewart, having come to his senses, will reduce his investment significantly. Top 5 budget - Let's see it then.

[leedsmiller]

(Can I add all the points Pocket raises are valid and ones that I'm sure we'd all like answered. My earlier reply wasn't intended to be flippant but reflects the line I'd expect to be adopted in any response).

Excellent post, Pete. Exactly right. I think TS is in a cleft stick, he's taken the club as far as he's able, he's enjoyed the good times and the trappings of success, he's provided a first class stadium which will stand as a legacy to his chairmanship but he can't let go because of the costs outstanding on NYS. It's highly unlikely a buyer could be found in the short term given the circumstances so where does he, and we, go from here? The signs point to a lengthy period of mediocrity with investment cut to a minimum.

The payments to Premier League clubs are obscene, Chelsea received about £150m tapering down to Sunderland who received a paltry £93m. How can than be right? The payments to relegated clubs totally distorts the competitiveness of next season's Championship. So how could a club like ours survive for more than a few seasons, even three years is a massive achievement when set against that backdrop. Obviously, what continues to grate is our woeful and premature capitulation but I'm now coming to the conclusion that TS accepted that the game was up very early in the season and decided there was nothing to be gained by throwing good money after bad. You could say that's a betrayal of trust - or maybe, taking a longer term view, it was just sound business sense.

[gwru]

I look at things from both sides. I agree with yr points about Blackstock & Paul Douglas. Also letting Smallwood go & a 32yr old one of Barkers mates being mentioned as a replacement.

Then look at it from Tony Stewarts side. When has he got the backing from the Rotherham public. Apart from Wembley, play-offs & last games of the season when there was something to play for. Never. When we went to that new stadium the new fans weren't hard core fans, just jumping on the bandwagon.

I wouldn't jump in: transfer market. See what money we get for D Ward, could be others. Then up the quality of potential signings.

[hotun]

Getting very cynical in your older years

[crookadile]

I wouldn't jump in: transfer market. See what money we get for D Ward, could be others. Then up the quality of potential signings.

Ward looks like going to Cardiff for 1 mill. Huddersfield get nearly half of that so the quality of potential signings wont go up that much.

[Pocket rocket]

A bit of clarity on the letter.

I've always backed TS and it's not a total u turn from me I would still rather have Him at my club.

I was out yesterday with some fellow millers one of them is always in the know with the information about the club and is generally correct.

The information I've been told is that there is discord about the direction on signings and the vision for the coming seasons.

So with what has happened last season and the planning for this it's some questions on behalf of myself and Several others a couple of them members on here.

UTM

[Lasterman]

I look at things from both sides. I agree with yr points about Blackstock & Paul Douglas. Also letting Smallwood go & a 32yr old one of Barkers mates being mentioned as a replacement.

Then look at it from Tony Stewarts side. When has he got the backing from the Rotherham public. Apart from Wembley, play-offs & last games of the season when there was something to play for. Never. When we went to that new stadium the new fans weren't hard core fans, just jumping on the bandwagon.

I wouldn't jump in: transfer market. See what money we get for D Ward, could be others. Then up the quality of potential signings.

But how could the "new fans" be the hard core? The hard core is what it is. New fans can become part of the hard core, of course, but that takes time - not just a couple of decent seasons sandwiched between disappointments.